Writing's on the Wall
by zdbztumble
Summary: In the guise of Sir Aaron, Ash competes in an unusual role-playing tournament. He's there in part to forget a feud with a friend, but that doesn't go the way he wanted... (Updated text.)


This story was written as an explanation behind a piece I drew and posted on Tumblr (you can find me there under this username.) The title comes from the song from _Spectre_. I originally planned to do another songfic, but since the lyrics only relate to the plot in the broadest sense possible, and since this ended up having a much lighter tone to it than the music, it didn't really work.

Big thanks to Tumblr's taillow suift (Suift here) for sharing a headcanon about Sir Aaron and a mermaid that informed a main pillar of the plot.

To get the timeline straight: everything from the anime happened except that they age, one year per region, Battle Frontier counts as a region, and Ash never goes to Alola. This being set ten months after the end of XY/Z, that makes Ash and Misty 18 going on 19, Brock 23, May 15, and Dawn 13 (if we assume the latter two are ten when introduced.)

* * *

"You look great, Ash!"

"Thanks, Dawn. This cape's pretty cool, huh?" To demonstrate, Ash threw the charcoal gray garment across his body, just to immediately give it a dramatic toss behind him.

 _"Cha!"_ Pikachu cooed approvingly from his spot on the windowsill.

"It's better on you now than it was when we went to Cameran Palace," May remarked. "I guess finally being the same height as the real Sir Aaron helps the look."

"I'm just glad we were cleared to watch you compete," Brock said. "The Trials for the Hero's Crown is supposed to be an amazing event."

They were all in their shared room at the Cerulean Pokémon Center. The girls sat together on Dawn's bunk, while Brock leaned against the door. Ash stood by the open window, enjoying the gentle breeze and fresh air. The Cerulean Center's rooms were nice enough, but it could still get stuffy with four people. That, and the two coordinators had swapped perfume samples earlier.

"So Ash, you really don't know who your opponent is?" Dawn asked excitedly. Piplup chirped, presumably to second the question.

"Nope. Part of the rules - every challenge is a surprise!"

"The Trials for the Hero's Crown is very different from most competitions," Brock explained. "Trainers choose a historical, legendary, or mythical hero to portray, and then they face trials modeled after that hero's feats. They aren't told what the trials will be ahead of time because a panel of judges assesses each trainer's and Pokémon's performance, and they look at how well the 'heroes' can react to surprises and what kind of character they demonstrate, not just whether they pass the trial or not. The trainers who can complete seven trials with a high enough score move on to the battle stage."

"And that's more like a regular tournament?" May asked.

"Right, but the hero personas feed into the battles too. The stories of the two trainers battling are combined in some way, and the setting of the battle is chosen based on that combination."

"Wow," the girls said together.

"They don't kid around about keeping things secret either," Ash added. "I couldn't tell anyone that I'd entered until I completed all the trials, and for the battle stage, I had to give 'em a list of everyone I wanted to invite to watch, so they could make sure none of the other challengers invited you too."

"I'm surprised you didn't invite your mom, Ash," Brock said.

"I did. She and Professor Oak are in Kalos right now, but they'll be around for the next match!" Ash held up a fist as he said that, and Pikachu mirrored his action.

"As confident as ever, I see," May giggled. "When did you finish your trials, Ash?"

"About a week ago," he replied, and he pulled the proof from the leather pouch on his waist - seven silver tokens, each with a different Pokémon struck on its face.

"So what did you have to do for 'em?" asked Dawn.

"Sorry - that stays secret!"

"Aww, come on!"

Ash wouldn't give in. He just shot the coordinator a cheeky grin before turning to look out the window. To get even more fresh air, and to hopefully dodge more questions. The truth was, while the tournament managers preferred that contestants not discuss the trials, it wasn't against the rules once the trials stage was completed and their guests cleared. But Ash's choice of hero had been a bit of a problem. Sir Aaron must have stayed close to Cameran Palace his whole life, because all the stories about him took place in and around that castle and the town of Rota. That didn't provide a lot of variety to the potential trials that could be made of those stories, and Rota couldn't easily accommodate the needed infrastructure. The fact that Ash didn't have a Lucario, or any other Pokémon that Sir Aaron was known to have trained, didn't help.

In the end, a compromise was reached. Two of Ash's trials were based on stories from the real Sir Aaron's life in Rota, but for the rest, the managers and judges drew on myths and legends of Aura Guardians from thousands of years before Sir Aaron's time, who probably never really existed, and just substituted Aaron's name. It wasn't such a big deal, but it still felt a bit like cheating, and Ash didn't want to explain it to his friends.

Said friends had kept the conversation going behind him. "Well, we know one thing about this match, at least," Brock was saying. "It must have something to do with water - otherwise, they wouldn't have rented out the Cerulean Gym."

"A lot of people were around working inside it right up until last night. I can't wait to see how it looks! Of course," May's voice suddenly turned coy, "someone probably can't wait to see how the gym _leader_ looks."

A shiver ran up Ash's spine. Pikachu must have picked up on it; he was looking up at his trainer, his eyes full of concern. _"Pikapi?"_

 _Please don't go there, May…_

"How 'bout it, Ash? When's the last time you saw Mist-"

"NO!"

Ash didn't turn around, but his mind's eye still saw Brock and Dawn rush to clasp their hands over May's mouth. He was sure they could all see the gloom on him - the same gloom that still consumed Brock if anyone mentioned even the plant ivy.

He supposed Brock had it worse. The big guy had loved Professor Ivy, and she'd dumped him…or whatever it was she had done. Brock still wouldn't say. Ash didn't have to worry about anything like that. No way. Not with Misty. He hadn't been thinking about her all the time, and in a new way, since leaving Kalos. He _certainly_ hadn't gone to Cerulean City right after getting home just to visit her first, with the vague thought in the back of his head that he might eventually talk to her a little about a date, which he absolutely had no interest in.

But if one could be "dumped" by a best friend, he supposed he had been, because that conversation had not gone well.

 _"…So Ash - now that you've made it to runner-up in a League, what's next?"_

"What else? Off to the next region! Mr. Mime's won my mom and me a trip to Alola, and I bet that'll be the next step on my - what?" Misty had just let out a loud sigh.

"Nothing."

"It doesn't sound like nothing."

Misty sighed again. "It's just - Ash, you almost won. You've become such a good trainer. Why don't you try re-challenging one of the Leagues you've already faced? I bet you could win Indigo this time. You could even take Lance on for Champion!"

"But Misty," Ash countered, laughing a little, "what's the point of going back to a League I already competed in? I need to keep on my journey, meeting new people, catching new Pokémon!"

"What's wrong with going back to face a challenge you couldn't beat the first time? You didn't mind trying gyms again when you couldn't get their badges."

"Well…that's not the same. You know me, Misty - I don't want to stop 'til I'm the Pokémon Master, and since I can still go after my dream, I'm gonna keep at it!"

"Ash, it's not - what do you mean, 'still go after

your _dream?'"_

Oops. _"N-nothing, Misty," Ash chuckled nervously, his hand flying to the back of his head._

"It didn't

sound _like nothing."_

Crud. _"W-well, it's just - you still want to be a Water Master, don't you?"_

"Of course I do."

"But you're tied down to this gym. You can't travel or catch new Pokémon, and you only battle new trainers just starting out. It's gotta be hard to go after your dream when you're stuck like that."

"Pikapi…"

 _Pikachu's warning came too late. Misty's eye was twitching, her teeth were bared, and her fists were shaking._

"Now you listen to me, Mr. Pokémon Master!" she yelled, lurching forward as she did so to seize Ash by the collar. "While I've been 'stuck here,' I've turned this place into the toughest gym in Kanto, I've used every vacation I can get to go out and catch new Pokémon, trainers who aren't beginners come by all the time,

and _I've been training my sisters! Next month, Daisy takes over as the gym leader, and I start preparing to take on the Indigo League to win a place as one of the Elite Four! And you would know all that if you bothered to call or write more than twice a year!"_

"R…really?" Ash didn't know what else to say. It was true - he

didn't _keep in touch very well. His mom talked to Misty more than he did. He was actually a little annoyed at her for not telling him any of this. Still, she was being a little harsh…it was more like three times a year, with the odd visit between regions…_

"Yes, really! And you know what this proves?"

"It proves…it proves you're a great gym leader?"

"It proves that staying 'tied down' in one place doesn't mean you have to give up on your dreams! I wouldn't be ready to take on the Elite Four or be nearly as good a water trainer if I hadn't spent time as a gym leader! And when I do leave the gym, I'll still be in Kanto, so I'm close to home and the people I love!"

"Wh-what?"

Misty seemed thrown by what she'd just said too. She released Ash and stumbled back, a blush appearing across her nose. "Y-you're so

stupid!"

 _"Hey!" Ash couldn't believe this. The insults were one thing, but his best friend was telling him to give up his dream!_

Well, that's not _exactly_ what she said. It wouldn't hurt to at least _think_ about going back to one of the Leagues - making Champion _is_ an important step to becoming a Master. Besides, it almost sounds like she misses…

"Pikachupi, pi pika -"

 _"No, Pikachu, it's not okay!" the little yellow mouse recoiled; Misty had never shouted at him before._

"Leave Pikachu alone!" Ash screamed. Whatever thought he'd had about Misty's point was gone now.

No one _talked to his Pokémon that way!_

"You've been running all over the world for years, and every time you hit a bump on the road, you just start over somewhere else! And you leave everyone behind and forget all about m-us! You're almost eighteen, Ash - you should know by now that just running around isn't enough! That Pokémon aren't the only thing that matter! You can't keep acting like a…like a…"

"Like a

kid? _Is that it? A_ kid _who just made runner-up? A_ kid _who took on Team Flare? A_ kid _who's saved the whole world? Well, if I'm such a_ kid, _why do you even care if I'm around or not?"_

"I…you…ugh, why couldn't you have picked up a

brain _in Kalos?"_

"Maybe I'll find one the next place I go!"

Wait, that didn't come out right…

 _"Better get on a plane quick then, before you forget your own name!"_

"I will get going! And I won't be back!"

"Fine!"

"FINE!"

And that was before things turned _really_ ugly.

Ash had left the gym that day fuming like he never had before. Pikachu opted to walk a good distance behind him on their way back to Pallet, as if he were afraid of his trainer, but Ash had been too angry to care. All he could think about was running off to the furthest region from Kanto and never coming back, just to spite his former best friend.

Ten months had gone by since then. Ten months without any contact with Misty. That wasn't so unusual; what was unusual was that Ash found it so hard to think about anything else when he didn't have a Pokémon or a meal to distract him. Also unusual was that Ash had stayed in Kanto. He'd even given up his seat on the Alola trip.

He _wasn't_ sticking around for her, just in case she got in touch. And he _wasn't_ taking her advice; he hadn't made any steps to take on the Indigo League again. But it was nice, spending more time in his own house, in his own bed, visiting old friends, checking in on all his Pokémon whenever he wanted. It was strange; he never thought much about what he left behind while on the road, but being home for an extended stay made him realize how much he missed everything and everyone.

But that meant that Misty had a point…which made him think of her more…which hurt his head, and his heart for _some_ reason. It only got worse as the months went on, even as Ash found himself more and more okay with sticking close to home. The chance to enter the Trials for the Hero's Crown came along right when he needed a big distraction from…things.

So of course this tournament would take him to Cerulean City.

 _I wonder if Misty knows I'm competing._ To rent the gym, the managers and judges must have had to explain at least a little of what they were doing. But was Misty even here still? Daisy was the gym leader now. Misty was probably off training somewhere, or else taking on gyms.

 _Maybe she's got all the badges she needs,_ he thought. _Or maybe she decided to visit the Orange Islands, since she'd be on the water all the time. Maybe she's travelling with people -_ guy _people. Maybe one of them's a cool land pirate who bought Gary's old car and drives around sweeping girls off their feet. Maybe he's got Misty in his arms right now and -_

"ASH!"

" _PIKAPI!_ "

Ash jumped at the shouts and finally turned from the window. His friends were all staring at him, their eyes filled with worry. _Geez - how long was I zoned out for?_

"You okay, big guy?" Brock asked tentatively.

Ash laughed, a little loudly, and threw his hand behind his head. "Just fine, Brocko! Now let's get going - I've got a match to win!"

...

From the outside, no one would know that anything out of the ordinary was going on in the Cerulean Gym. The raspberry and amber dome, giant Dewgong, and sea wave sign were all still there. No crowd was gathered, and no additional decorations or advertisements had been added.

Inside was a different story.

The stadium had been completely remodeled. Gone were the battling platforms, boundary markers, and bench seating. Even the edges of the pool had been reshaped to eliminate the rigid geometry. The place was dressed as a marshy lagoon, with tiny islands in the pool, tall grasses along the edges, a working waterfall on one end of the stadium, and mossy hills for the few spectators and the judges to sit in. All this told Ash one thing - whatever story this battle was modeled after, it was one involving some old legendary Guardian, not Sir Aaron. Rota had hot springs, but nothing like this.

Not that he could see any of it at the moment. He'd gotten a decent look when the managers had first led him in, but they'd quickly pushed him up to the top of the diving board before shutting off the lights. He guessed that they didn't want him catching a look at who his opponent would be, but he'd been stuck up there for what he guessed was twenty minutes.

" _Pikachu?_ "

"I don't know when we'll start, buddy, but I hope it's soon. I'm getting nervous just standing here in the dark."

" _Pika,_ " his starter nodded. To pass the time, he and Ash took their tenth look around what little they could see of the stadium in the dark.

 _Where's my opponent gonna be?_ Ash wondered. _There isn't another diving board. But why would I be up here while he's down there?_

A harsh spotlight burst on, nearly blinding him, as a gong sounded its low ripple. Other than the light, Ash was used to this; it was the signal that a trial had begun. Next would be David, the narrator, explaining the story behind the task.

Right on cue, the man's smooth voice came over the speaker system. "Once upon a time, when a hundred kingdoms warred and knights rode the land, the brave Sir Aaron and his…Pikachu were forced to flee from a vicious battle."

" _Pi cha,_ " Pikachu muttered in an offended sort of way. Ash chuckled. David was a stickler for accuracy in myths and legends, and he always stumbled over Pikachu's name whenever it was substituted for Lucario. The electric mouse got upset over it every time.

"Cut off from the roads, and with no escape possible by air, the Guardians of the Aura had only one hope. They threw themselves into the river and let the current take them far away. It led them to a long waterfall that emptied into the pristine Emerald Lagoon, safely hidden in the depths of the Viridian Forest. That was no comfort, for it was said that all who entered those waters never returned, taken by the creatures who lived in the water. But when Sir Aaron stood upon the rocky wall overlooking the lagoon, all he saw was a beautiful mermaid sunning on a stone."

 _Great,_ thought Ash as his eye began to twitch. _Love junk. And it_ would _be a mermaid. I'll bet the other trainer's underwater right now, waiting for her cue._

Sure enough, another spotlight fell on the water, and a slender figure broke the surface. The trainer pulled herself onto one of the small islands, while a dark shape that remained below the water's surface circled it. She was a very pretty girl, dressed up as the same sort of mermaid from the Waterflower Water Shows. There was the star on her fin, the pearls in her long red hair, and her eyes were the same sea green as…

"MISTY?" He couldn't help it; the name exploded out of his mouth.

" _Pikachupi!_ "

Ash thought he heard some gasps, and maybe some snickering, from the spectator area, but his eyes never left the mermaid now staring up at him like a Sawsbuck caught in the headlights. Even from so high up, Ash could make out a blush on Misty's cheeks, and judging from how warm his face felt, he had one too.

"…Yes. Well, anyway," David pressed on with his narration, though he sounded a bit flustered. "Sir Aaron was enthralled by the sight, but little did he know that he had laid eyes on the ruler of all the mermaids, Princess Kasumi."

Ash slapped a hand to his face. He _knew_ this story! It was in a big book of fairy tales his mom used to read to him when he was just a toddler. In that version, the hero was some mythic Guardian with a name Ash couldn't pronounce, but the basic plot was the same. The hero met and fell in love with the mermaid princess, who had a cool epithet that Ash couldn't remember. She loved him too, but mermaid law said that any mortal who wished to have her needed to defeat her Dragonair. Anyone who failed was taken below the water by the other mermaids. With his powers, and with the help of his Pokémon, the hero beat Kasumi in battle, became a merman to join her, and they lived happily ever after.

If the furious glare now in Misty's eyes was any indication, that would not be how this battle went.

 _There were fifty stories in that book. Why did they have to pick this one? And why did it have to be_ Misty?

How was he supposed to focus on the battle now? He couldn't even focus on David's narration. His head was spinning with a horrible roaring sound…

 _Wait…that's not in my head. It's coming from the -_

A ripple of yellow flame flew across the roof, incinerating it in one swoop. Ash saw the remnants of a support beam falling toward him, and briefly felt the crash of it hitting the diving board before everything went black.

...

Nothing about the Trials for the Hero's Crown had gone according to plan.

Joining the tournament in the first place had been a fluke. After her fight with Ash, Misty accelerated her timetable. Daisy was installed as gym leader in a week instead of a month, and Misty had taken to the road the second after it was official, determined to win her badges as fast as possible so she could prove her point to Ash Ketchum. Not that she ever wanted to speak to, hear from, or see that jerk ever again. It was just nice to be proven right.

She had cleared the Indigo gyms in record time. Between her speed in winning badges and her early start, she'd found herself with several months to kill before she could actually compete in the League. Months she very quickly realized it wasn't wise to spend waiting around at home. She couldn't help becoming a backseat driver to Daisy, which infuriated her oldest sister, but coaching from the sidelines was the only thing that could guarantee she didn't spend her time thinking about Ash.

His mother told her that he hadn't gone on that trip to Alola, that he had stayed in Kanto. Had he listened to her? Had she gotten through? Would he be calling her? Did she want him to? Of course she did; if she could never fool anyone except Captain Density, she couldn't fool herself, not anymore. But would she admit it if he did call? Having a room full of mementos from over the years that she refused to throw or pack away didn't help.

When she heard about the Trials for the Hero's Crown, it seemed the perfect way to distract her from…things. But when she went to register, she found that her first three choices in heroes had already been taken. The managers suggested Princess Kasumi, based on her family's reputation. Misty had been reluctant; she didn't have a Dragonair, her mermaid costume still wasn't her favorite outfit in the world, and the romance angle to Kasumi's story wasn't something she felt up to dealing with. She relented only when she couldn't find an alternate she liked.

One comfort she had taken in her choice was that a mermaid must inspire trials that she was well suited for. They had proven excruciatingly difficult. The last one, a white rapids tangle patterned after 'The Mermaid and the Kingdra,' nearly cost her a couple of fingers, and she had been shocked when she won her seventh token. It was a relief to reach the battle stage. Battling, even with the role-play aspect, was familiar territory for her. She'd be in her element!

So of course her first match was against Ash.

Joy, relief, fear, and anger. That was the cocktail of emotions she always felt around Ash, and the sight of him up on the diving board was no different. This time, anger was the strongest flavor, and a shot of competitiveness ran through her as well. She wasn't sure if she was ready to speak to Ash again, but she was always ready to wipe the floor with him. And maybe, after winning, they could talk.

All of that was in the back of her mind now. The roof of the stadium - her home - was gone, its ruins had spread flames all over the spectator area, Ash and Pikachu lay unmoving at the pool's edge under a piece of support beam, and a blood-red dirigible with a large black "R" on its side hovered in the air above them.

"Attention Cerulean Gym," a disgustingly oily voice sounded from the airship's speakers. "Do not be alarmed. We are here for Ash Ketchum. Give him to us, and you will not be harmed." Three flashes of light shot from the windows of the gondola, forming into an Aerodactyl, a Dragonite, and a Skarmory. A small figure leapt onto the back of the Aerodactyl, which mega evolved in another flash. The three Pokémon dove through the open roof and circled the stadium, leering down at Misty and the people on the hills. The man on the back of the Aerodactyl was dressed in the signature uniform of a Team Rocket grunt, and his unpleasant smirk matched his Pokémon's perfectly.

"Just stay put, missy," he sneered; his was the oily voice from the speaker. "We'll collect the punk and be on our way."

Misty fought down the urge fire an insult back. She needed to focus. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her sisters leading the judges to an air shaft. Brock, May, and Dawn were with them - Ash's guests, she figured. The Dragonite and the Skarmory had moved to opposite ends of the stadium while the Aerodactyl remained above her. She was surrounded, but none of the Rocket Pokémon seemed to have noticed that their potential hostages were getting away.

 _Got_ away; the last of them was stepping into the shaft now. It was Daisy. She hesitated, and Misty gave a small pushing motion with her hand, careful not to turn her head away from the grunt. After another moment's pause, Daisy retreated into the shaft, replacing the cover behind her.

She'd be back, and probably Brock and the others too. They just needed to collect their Pokémon from the lounge, and they'd race to help her. But for now, Misty was the only thing between this creep and her Ash.

 _Wait,_ my _Ash?_ A small voice protested in her mind. _Where did_ that _come from?_

Oh, don't even start,

another voice snapped. _You gave up pretending you didn't want him way back on Shamouti._

That was years ago! And aren't we still mad at him? Stubborn little twerp, won't take good advice…

You know what that fight was

really _about._

Yeah, but…how long does a girl have to wait around for him to catch up? And who's still in love with their childhood crush at my age? Ugh, he drives me crazy!

Is now the best time for this?

Good point.

"Milotic, go!" The gorgeous serpent, who had kept circling the island since Misty crawled onto it, at last broke the surface. "Quick, Milotic - use Ice Beam to cover up Ash, and keep him safe!"

The Tender Pokémon gave a bright trill of acknowledgement before letting loose her attack. Before any of the Flying-types could respond, a small but thick dome of clear ice had encased Ash and Pikachu. Milotic swam over to that end of the pool and leapt out, curling her long body around her handiwork.

The Rockets didn't react, except for the grunt. His smirk grew wider. "Leaving yourself wide open, aren't ya? And I thought the redhead was supposed to be the smart one of you Waterflower gym leaders."

"I'm not a gym leader anymore, and I'm not a Waterflower today," Misty shot back. "You've interrupted the Trials for the Hero's Crown. You know what that makes me?"

"Do I care?"

 _You're about to._ Misty let out a high whistle. Gyarados burst up from the pool, greeting the intruders with a deafening roar. He gave the Rockets a quick once-over before looking down at Misty. She held up two fists. With her right, she punched straight out. With her left, she flicked her fingers open, as if mimicking a sudden burst. The Atrocious Pokémon gave her a nod and a wink.

The Blizzard attack had Dragonite against the wall before the Dragon-type could even call out in shock. Skarmory started forward, but Gyarados whipped around to meet it with a Fire Blast. The flames were quicker than the bird, and it fell into the pool, its armor well-cooked.

Misty whistled again. Gyarados bowed his giant head so that she could climb up onto his crest. As they rose to face the now-trembling grunt and his stunned Aerodactyl, Misty reached behind her head and felt along the string of pearls in her hair. She stopped when she found her keystone.

"The name is Princess Kasumi, Flame of the Ocean," Misty declared proudly. "And Ash is booked!"

She closed her eyes just before the flash went off, and she shifted to avoid the center spike of the crest that she knew would grow. When the light went down, the grunt was out of the gym and on the retreat, but Misty wasn't about to let him get away.

"Hydro Pump," she growled.

Mega Gyarados's attack struck the grunt more than the Pokémon, but they both went plummeting out of the sky. Without a command, the great fish let another attack go, a Hyper Beam, at the dirigible. It listed downward, and Gyarados roared in triumph. "Way to go, Gyarados!" Misty cheered.

But when her Pokémon's roar had faded, a low rumble remained in the air. The dirigible was still airborne, two more had flown in on either side of it, and Pokémon were pouring out of them.

...

As sad as it was, Ash was used to blacking out.

Not that he enjoyed it, but it was a regular enough occurrence in his life that he felt he had built up something of an immunity to its effects. Sure, he was still groggy when he first came to, but after two or three seconds, he was back on his feet and ready to go.

Or, in this case, back on the ground, because his head collided with something hard, wet, and cold when he tried to jump up. "Oww!"

" _Pikapi!_ "

Pikachu was urgently pressing his shoulder. The ice surrounding them had a gap just above their heads. Ash gathered Pikachu in his arms and wormed free of the dome. He was greeted by a cream-colored sea serpent trying to push him back into the ice. Ash gently pushed back on her muzzle. He'd met this Pokémon once or twice before. "I'll bet Misty told you watch me, huh?" he asked Milotic softly.

" _Mil,_ " she answered, gently rubbing her head along his palm.

"Where is she, anyway?" The answer came by way of explosion, and Ash whipped around to face the stadium. A full blaze roared through the mossy hills in the spectator area; Ash could only hope everyone had gotten away. Five or six Crobat and a Mega Salamence circled over the pool, while two Swoobat and a Mandibuzz hovered just above the open roof. Three bloody dirigibles marked with a black Team Rocket R were above them, though the middle one was smoking.

Misty was in the center of it all. Atop her Mega Gyarados, she darted up and down the pool, firing off attacks at the intruding Pokémon. A stray Hyper Beam had set off the explosion that alerted Ash. She wasn't alone either; Staryu and Starmie were on one of the islands, shooting Water Guns together. Between them was Psyduck, his eyes blazing; whether he had finally mastered his psychic powers or just gotten a headache, Ash couldn't say.

He was awestruck; he couldn't help it. A number of nasty-looking Pokémon lay unconscious all over the stadium. Of those remaining, Misty and Gyarados took two Crobats out of the sky before Ash's eyes. The starfish had Salamence pinned between their attacks. Judging by the behavior of one of the Swoobat, it was in the grip of Psyduck's Confusion, while its twin and the Mandibuzz looked battered and worn. But so did Gyarados, and so did Misty.

Ash reached into his pouch and started forward, but a fanned blue tail dotted with magenta stopped him. "C'mon, Milotic," Ash pleaded, "I know she told you to watch me, but Misty's in trouble!"

" _Lo!_ " she trilled firmly, holding her tail up higher. Ash groaned; Misty had told him once that she had trouble with Milotic taking things too literally. Lucky for him, he had a way out from the Tender Pokémon's watchful eye.

"If you're supposed to keep me safe," Ash told her, "you can do it by covering me. Charizard, go!" He tossed a Pokéball high into the air, and his trusty orange Fire-type burst out with his wings spread wide. Ash put Pikachu on his shoulder and held up his hands. Charizard took hold of them, lifting Ash off the ground. Once they were safely out of the protesting Milotic's reach, Charizard swung his trainer around and over his shoulder, and Ash landed on the lizard's back.

"Okay, let's show Team Rocket who they're dealing with!" he yelled. "Pikachu, finish off those Swoobat with a Thunderbolt! Charizard, help Staryu and Starmie out with Dragon Rage!" His Pokémon went right to work. The Swoobat fell back into the stadium, into the pool, while the Salamence went spinning toward the wall. It caught itself before crashing, but the starfish followed up Charizard's blast with a combined Ice Beam, and the Dragon Pokémon ended up on the floor, frozen in a solid chunk of ice.

The Crobat all turned to face their new foe. They spread out and moved in quickly, but Ash was ready. He let Charizard take them higher, which led the Crobat to move closer together as they followed. Milotic caught them with a Blizzard from down below, and Ash had Pikachu fire another Thunderbolt at the same time. All four Crobat went down.

 _Wow_ , Ash thought as he let out a low whistle. _Misty must've worn them down even more than I thought._

The girl in question, and her Gyarados, hit Mandibuzz with a Dark Pulse. The buzzard didn't faint, but it did dive into the stadium to strike back. Gyarados snarled in challenge.

"Misty's got that one," Ash told Charizard. "Let's take out these blimps!" His Pokémon sounded his own roar as he soared out of the stadium. Ash could hear Milotic's renewed protests, and he thought he heard a "no, Ash!" from Misty, but he didn't turn back. _No way I'm not getting Team Rocket back for this._

There were no Pokémon guarding the dirigibles; apparently, anything on board had already been sent out to fight or picked off by Misty. The gondolas had a two-man crew each, and all the grunts wore parachute packs. _Well, at least they were prepared for trouble,_ Ash thought with a smirk.

"Alright, Pikachu - give the one on the left your best Thunder! Charizard, Flamethrower on the right! And then we'll take out the middle!"

" _PIKACHU!_ "

Ash half-wished he'd asked Pikachu to go with a weaker attack; he felt a fair bit of that Thunder, and he was sure Charizard did too. To his credit, the lizard didn't growl or complain, but fired his own attack. Both airships lit up, and drifted off in opposite directions towards the ground. Ash made sure that the crews bailed before turning to the one blimp left.

"It's all yours, Charizard!" But before he could call an attack out, a Hyper Beam struck the ship, and it went spinning away. Ash looked down. A very grumpy-looking Milotic was reared up and shooting him the stink eye. Ash grinned and gave her a nervous wave.

" _Pikachupi!_ "

"Misty?" Ash turned to look down at his friend. She and Gyarados were still tangling with the Mandibuzz, who just kept dodging all of Gyarados's attacks. Both Pokémon looked ready to drop, and Misty was taking her breaths in tired gasps.

"Let's give her a hand, guys," Ash said, and his two Pokémon nodded. As they flew back into the stadium, the Mandibuzz turned his gaze on them. Ash braced himself, expecting an attack. The vulture did throw out an Air Slash, not at Charizard or Gyarados, but at Misty.

She let out a yelp as the attack cut open her mermaid's fin. A spray of blood fell across the costume and Gyarados's crest. Her balance thrown off, Misty lost her grip and fell from her Pokémon's head into the pool. The surface of the water began to turn red where she had fallen.

"MISTY!"

It felt like an Ice Beam had gone off inside his chest. Without a thought for the risk, Ash threw himself from Charizard's back. He didn't realize Pikachu was still on his shoulder until the mouse screamed, and he didn't remember until he hit the water how awkward a swimmer he was.

It didn't matter.

Well, it mattered some. The weight and drag his cape provided only exasperated the problem, and the chlorine and salt of the sea water pool stung his eyes. Pikachu wasn't on his shoulder anymore, and there wasn't a sign of him anywhere. Still, Ash frantically clawed his way towards Misty. She wasn't moving, and blood was still seeping from the wound in her legs. The Air Slash must have cut deep. Using his legs to keep moving, Ash stretched out his arms and scooped her up. She threw her arms around his neck by instinct, and he swam them to the shallow end as quickly as he could.

They both gasped for air when he got their heads above the surface. The heat stung at their faces; now that there was no battling to worry about, it hit Ash just how hot the flames had made the stadium. Even the water, which was still up to his chest, felt warm. Ash was glad for the heat. It helped him forget the chill that had shot through him moments ago.

The Mandibuzz hadn't gotten away; Charizard held its unconscious from in his claws, and he was sharing friendly and triumphant growls with a de-powered Gyarados. Ash and Misty watched their powerhouses congratulate each other in silence for a moment. He kept her in his arms, and she kept her arms around his neck. Her grip on his left shoulder hurt, but Ash felt too relieved to say anything. He did steal a glance at her dirty, disheveled face. As it happened, she was stealing a glance at the same time.

"Ash!" she suddenly yelled, letting go with her right hand to slap him. "Why did you come out here? They were after you!"

"Well, why did _you_ take them all on by yourself?" Ash yelled back. Ten months without speaking, a near-death experience for both of them, and _this_ was how she greeted him?

"I can take care of myself, Ketchum!"

"I can take care of _my_ self too!"

"WHY DO YOU CARE ANYWAY?" they screamed together.

Ash could feel Misty trembling in his arms. He was shaking himself, despite the heat. Another angry line was on his tongue, but he choked it down when he saw tears forming in Misty's sea-green eyes. Her hand was back on his face, but instead of slapping him again, she gently held his cheek. Ash felt tears building up in his own eyes as he read the thoughts plain to see in hers. They were the same as those in his own head.

 _Do you really not know?_

Something burst up from the water behind them. Neither of them looked; the immediate call of "Pikapi!" told them who it was. Pikachu kept going, saying something about there being a time and a place, and could they please get away from this burning stadium, but Ash made no move to set Misty down or get them out of the water. He just let her pull his face closer to hers as he pulled her body closer to his chest, feeling the scales of Princess Kasumi's fin through his gloves. She titled her head to avoid the brim of Sir Aaron's hat. They closed their eyes together, keeping the half-formed tears from streaming down their faces, as their lips met for the first time.


End file.
